Iraqi Yellowcake Uranium Reaches Canada
MKFreeberg at House of Eratosthenes on Jul 07 2008 at 9:08 am | Filed under: Iraq
Webloggin Note: There are currently 2 bouts of misinformation coursing through the blogosphere with regard to this story.
First, for all the conservatives that claim this is proof positive that Saddam Hussein was pursuing a nuclear program and that he had made progress on that front: sorry that is not the case with this particular uranium. This yellowcake was well known by the IAEA and the US since the first gulf war. Saddam couldn’t use this uranium for nuclear weapons because it was so well known. It was under lock and key so he had to look elsewhere. Its removal makes sense but does not point to any secret attempts to make new stockpiles by Saddam or Iraq.
Second, and something I consider to be more disingenuous and troubling are the claims by the New York Times and other left leaning sources of misinformation regarding the Niger purchase attempts.
Here is what the New York Times published today, proving that they are either paid propagandists or just plain stupid:
The yellowcake removed from Iraq — which was not the same yellowcake that President Bush claimed, in a now discredited section of his 2003 State of the Union address, that Mr. Hussein was trying to purchase in Africa — is used in an early stage of the nuclear fuel cycle. Only after intensive processing does it become low-enriched uranium, which can fuel reactors producing power. Highly enriched uranium can be used in nuclear bombs.
Wrong. The following excerpt from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Wilson’s report puts to rest this lie. Iraq was actively trying to purchase yellow cake uranium for weapons likely using oil for food funds; the only problem for them was that they were rebuffed in those efforts. (Hat Tip Ed Morrissey, here and here)
[Wilson's] intelligence report indicated that former Nigerien Prime Minister Ibrahim Mayaki was unaware of any contracts that had been signed between Niger and any rogue states for the sale of yellowcake while he was Prime Minister (1997-1999) or Foreign Minister (1996-1997). Mayaki said that if there had been any such contract during his tenure, he would have been aware of it. Mayaki said, however, that in June 1999,(REDACTED) businessman, approached him and insisted that Mayaki meet with an Iraqi delegation to discuss “expanding commercial relations” between Niger and Iraq. The intelligence report said that Mayaki interpreted “expanding commercial relations” to mean that the delegation wanted to discuss uranium yellowcake sales. The intelligence report also said that “although the meeting took place, Mayaki let the matter drop due to the UN sanctions on Iraq.”
It appears that the New York Times discredits itself just by being in print.
Original Article Below:
Via Rick, we learn about Don Surber’s handy summary of exactly what’s been happening the last five years. It’ll be a bitter pill to swallow for some, but let’s just see any from the other side take it on directly:
From Brian Murphy of the AP:
The last major remnant of Saddam Hussein’s nuclear program - a huge stockpile of concentrated natural uranium - reached a Canadian port Saturday to complete a secret U.S. operation that included a two-week airlift from Baghdad and a ship voyage crossing two oceans.
The removal of 550 metric tons of “yellowcake” - the seed material for higher-grade nuclear enrichment - was a significant step toward closing the books on Saddam’s nuclear legacy. It also brought relief to U.S. and Iraqi authorities who had worried the cache would reach insurgents or smugglers crossing to Iran to aid its nuclear ambitions.
Joe Wilson is a liar who should be investigated for contempt of Congress charges regarding knowingly giving false testimony. This yellowcake, though, predates that.
There is a happy ending. This stuff is not in the hands of terrorists, thanks to President Bush’s actions for which he has been hammered by the left for 5+ years.
When I was a young man just coming of age, I was told Ronald Reagan was a senile old warmonger because he was irresponsibly ratcheting-up an arms race with the Soviet Union; a little while later, as the Soviet Union came apart I was told it might be time to pay the piper on this as the munitions of the former republic came to a high potential for falling into the hands of terrorists.
So in just a few short years, the American Left has gone from arguing against the Reagan Doctrine, because of all the havoc it might cause through terrorists getting ahold of weapons and raw materials that would otherwise be unavailable to them…to an impassioned reprimand of anyone who might try to stop that from happening.
In November, they’re running for control of our military and our intelligence agencies. Their sales pitch? That they would bring about “change.” Huh. Yeah, looks like it.
[Discuss This Topic with MKFreeberg]
